Sacramento air ops

[Scanman6]

Not too long ago, I was in the Rancho Cordova area and heard a lot of rotors in the air. I looked up to see SSD STAR 5, 7, 8 and one of the UH-1 Huey flying in formation. What a sight. It was pretty rare to see that many of our helicopters flying at the same time.

That was a flyover at a funeral for a formerSSD Officer. Glad you got to see it. I just heard the comms. When they do these things, there's comms on 132.125. They also coordinate on CaTac and agency TGs for ground contact. You'll hear the flight getting clearance from area towers and iving traffic advisories.

I'm already jonesing for the Cap Airshow in March.

 

[Scanman6]

On CHP Helos

I was sure that CHP hd it's own helos. Falcon 30 is based in Auburn. I hear CHP 20 and CHP 24. The bird sounds different in the background. CHP uses odd callsigns for fixedwing and even for rotorywings. I could be wrong that's jjust what i've hear from scanning. Great research on this post.

 

[RolnCode3]

You're right on all counts.

CHP has H20 and H24. Falcon 30 belongs to Placer.

CHP calls their fixed wing units "Air", and their copters "H"...don't think that's weird, but hey. Unless you've heard another designation that you're not sure of.

 

[scannerboy02]

All CHP aircraft identify as CHP-XX on the air frequencies. Sac SO STAR units and Sac PD Air 1 use the same call on air frequencies as they do on the agency radio. Yolo SO 1-Victor-1 uses Idaho-87 when talking to a tower and Cessna-1187-Mike when calling in the blind on air frequencies.

 

[servo_fan]

Not too long ago, I was in the Rancho Cordova area and heard a lot of rotors in the air.

If it was the CHP they might have been doing a flyover at a party for some Eurocopter execs and CHP brass. That is if you believe the investigation the Bee has been doing into the CHP procurement process.

 

[Scanman6]

Well, I dn't know about the investigation, but that flyover was for the funeral in Rancho last week. It was STAR (s) and falcon 30. Can check my recording and get specifics if I have the time. Going to save it in the arc, but getting backed up with holiday errands. Thanks for the info about "iDAHO", I was wondering about that. "Pipeline" is alwo a fixedwing you'll hear. Don't know what agency, but it sounds federal.

 

[NWtoSFO]

Do the agencies switch from night to night as to who gets in the air? Right now (Wed night) Air1 is up and the last couple of nights has been STAR7. Over the weekend I heard CHP helping out different departments. I don't think I've heard more that 1 air unit up at a time. Last night was a chase up 99 that started south of Downtown Sac and ended at Del Paso with only STAR7 providing air support. Just wondering how it's decided.

 

[Sac916]

STAR is up in the air every day, barring mechanical or flight time restrictions. STAR flies morning til about 1 or 2 am. STAR goes down to hanger several times a day for various reasons. Fuel, breaks, and training etc

STAR and Air1 work VERY closely together and try to amage flight times so that air supprt is seamless. There is not a solid rule/policy.

Compared to Air1, CHP H20 rarely assists SSD or SPD. H20 has a much broader service area and is often unavailable.

If you listen to the Air to Air radio traffic, you'll hear STAR and Air1 doing a lot of cordination of coverage and flight time

Do the agencies switch from night to night as to who gets in the air? Right now (Wed night) Air1 is up and the last couple of nights has been STAR7. Over the weekend I heard CHP helping out different departments. I don't think I've heard more that 1 air unit up at a time. Last night was a chase up 99 that started south of Downtown Sac and ended at Del Paso with only STAR7 providing air support. Just wondering how it's decided.

 

[NWtoSFO]

Well, my mistake. Right now there are two air units over one incident right now in South Sac. Air1 and a STAR copter. There are also 4 K-9 units on scene.

 

[servo_fan]

H20 has a much broader service area and is often unavailable.

And a broader scope as well. Yesterday H20 (or maybe H24) was going to do a Life-Flight for a head on collision at Jackson & Dillard.

 

[556fmj]

I was on a armed barricaded subject call in South Sac last year and we had all three helicopters on scene (SSD, SPD and CHP) and like 20 SSD deputies and 40 SPD officers including Sheriff's SED, multiple K9 teams and other units.

 

[sac-emt]

RE: Head-On Accident on Jackson Hwy.

H24 responded as well as H20. H24 life-flighted the victim to UCD with H20 providing a medic to assist H24's medic.

The incident noted above was the last of 3 MCI's Metro Fire had yesterday. At each incident, one victim had to be extricated out of their vehicle.

The first was at 16th St/E St in Rio Linda and awhile after that, the SUV (with 6 children) rollover at Hwy 50/Folsom Blvd in Rancho Cordova.

In the south county, a truck and trailer with 6 cows ended up on its side. Looks like all were fine.

Not a very good day to be on the road.

 

[mkewman]

anyone know (and can post) the criteria for calling out STAR during downtime (after 2am)?

sometimes i'll hear significant, long, incidents at like 4am and think "why the heck haven't they called up a air unit?"

 

[Scanman6]

U sispect that weather (Fog) and to an extent darkness have a maor part in the offtime. I also suspect that these folks need some time to sleep. I know that if the call comes close to the EOW, Helos will come back up. There are probably budget considerations too. Just guessing though.

 

[mkewman]

STAR and Air1 are both out of Mather right?

 

[RolnCode3]

STAR and Air1 are both out of Mather right?

Yes. Offices/hangars are on the west side of the airport.

 

[mkewman]

do they ever have like public open house days?

 

[RolnCode3]

They go to events, but I've never heard of them doing an open-house at the hangars.

I had a buddy who did a ride-a-long on the old Star3. Don't know if they still do them or not.

Air1 supposedly has very strict weight limits, so I don't know if they do them or not.

 

[servo_fan]

I had a buddy who did a ride-a-long on the old Star3. Don't know if they still do them or not.

Was/Is your buddy a law enforcement officer? I can't imagine them allowing ride alongs on a helicopter for a regular "civilian". I'm not sure you can do any ride alongs anymore if you aren't a family member, or part of another agency. Sac PD advertises ride alongs, but when I turned mine in a couple years ago, I never heard anything back.

 

[RolnCode3]

Was/Is your buddy a law enforcement officer? I can't imagine them allowing ride alongs on a helicopter for a regular "civilian". I'm not sure you can do any ride alongs anymore if you aren't a family member, or part of another agency. Sac PD advertises ride alongs, but when I turned mine in a couple years ago, I never heard anything back.

At the time, he was a non-sworn County employee. They said if he was a peace officer he could ride armed...but they didn't seem to care that he wasn't a peace officer.

He's since gone to Fairfield PD and is a SWAT officer there...not that that matters.